


The Mitchell Incident

by UnholyHelbig



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Character Turned Into Vampire, F/F, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:17:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16824979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnholyHelbig/pseuds/UnholyHelbig
Summary: The legend of the first vampire has been traced all the way back to Bram Stoker’s Dracula; a tale filled with vengeance and love as one girl fights to choose between good and evil. But what happens when evil is the only choice? After taking a night job at the towns local cemetery, Chloe Beale must test her knowledge when it comes to vampires, and where exactly they first originated.[Heads up, this was my first ever Pitch Perfect fanfiction and it's been almost a year since then so I don't really have a good grasp on the characters.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Holy shit you guys, this was my first ever Pitch Perfect fanfiction. Okay, yeah, not that big of a deal. But up until this point, I had only ever written vampire diaries and youtubers. That's why this is so shitty but I still want to keep all my work together so I'm going to post it anyway... I also haven't read it myself in over a year.

**THE EDGE** of Chloe’s hand rested against a metal desk, one that seemed to grow in temperature every passing second. The scent of burnt coffee and toner filled her lungs with each breath that she dared to pull into her lungs.

The girl regretted throwing on a blazer for an interview of this nature; one where she sat stranded on an old creaky chair that could give under her weight at any moment. But she had been taught to be professional- to keep her back straight and eye contact strong, even if sweat started to collect at her collarbone and soak through the fabric of her shirt.

The man across from her had a deep look of content on his face, a large greying mustache took up most of his upper lip, but his eyes were kind, Chloe decided. They were aged like he had seen twice as much as his age allowed. His skin was tan, hair a deep pitch as if it had been dyed more than enough times to cause the color to set.

“This is a very extensive resume, Miss?”

“Beale,” the ginger pulled herself away from her thoughts quickly “Chole Beale.”

The man let out a small huff of air. He had a thick southern accent, unlike most people in this area. It was almost comforting, seeing him lean forward with a sigh as he placed the paper back on the crowded desk. The girl got a good look at his hands- scraped and caked in dirt.

“Well, Chole” He spoke gruffly “You’re more than qualified for a position here. But I don’t see why you would want one.”

The redhead drew in a breath, a sharp one that burned her throat. She almost forgot about the thick stench that penetrated every inch of the small building at the edge of the property. The man had a right to ask a question like that- such a put together girl was never seen applying for a job at a cemetery. Not one at the edge of town away from all the nightlife.

“I uh,” She tried to take up most of the dead air between them. “It works with my schedule. I’m very serious about school, and no one else would take me because of that.”

He lifted his chin slightly, his eyes curious. “The night position is fairly easy if you would like to try your hand at it. It’s quiet, though, I must warn you.”

A certain light moved to Chole’s eyes. One that she hadn’t had after the many calls informing her that it ‘just wouldn’t work out’. This was a college town, one where all the acceptable barista jobs and waiter positions had been filled the second the building had been established. This was her last hope as her student loans continued to gain interest.

“Yeah,” Chole shook her head quickly “Yes, I’m very interested.”

“Good,” the man stood, the whole entire chair creaking like it had been under such a strain. He was taller than Chole though, his dirty old flannel rested over a white tinted shirt. A yellowed ring of sweat moved against his collar, but he didn’t seem to mind. The younger girl stood with him, still having to peer up at him. “You start tonight, I have a few t-shirts in the back in case you don’t want to get that one there dirty. But you’ll figure out what works best for you.”

The ginger nodded quickly, not expecting to be thrown into the business full force. There wasn’t much room to misstep here, she wanted to keep good company with the only other person she had seen her whole entire time here. Quite literally with the office being so small and cramped.

She followed the man, Mr. Gallagher, out into the sunny edges of the lot. There was a small little building that she had been waiting in, but other than that it seemed to be a long stretch of deep colored grass. It was mowed and trimmed to pristine condition- the Irish setting being broken apart by deep marble stones. Chole couldn’t tell how old they were, but limestone was beginning to rot on some of the crooked slabs.

“This place has been in my family for as long as I can remember.” Gallagher huffed “My own father started out as a gravedigger and fell in love with the peacefulness of the place.”

Chole nodded, glancing around as she tried her hardest not to step near any of the graves. She was always taught that that was disrespectful- not as bad as dancing and throwing a party, but still bad. The man in front of her didn’t seem to care where his footfalls landed.

The two of them came upon a medium sized shed, the deep orange light from the sun began to fade behind nearby tree’s, a large wrought iron fence created odd lined shadows against now blue grass. He was messing with his keys as he spoke. “You have to be here at seven sharp, every night that you’re needed. You’ll get an email letting you know if you are.”

“Okay,” Chole nodded, trying to take in all the information.

Gallagher pulled open the dusty shed, the creaking of the door making the young adult cringe against the sound. He wasn’t bothered though, his large hand pulling the small string that connected to a small bulb. It cast a deep golden haze against shelves filled with different tools and lockboxes. A large red mower was resting in the center of the room, half covered by a deep blue tarp.

“You leave when you finish.” The man turned to face the girl “It could be one grave, or it could be five. But it’s rarely five.”

He grasped a pair of deep black leather gloves and passed them Chole’s way, she eyed them for a few seconds before taking a hold of the shovel that he thrust her way. It was heavier than she expected, but she didn’t let it show. The man started to dig around one of the shelves as Chole watched carefully.

“If there are more than five, then expect some company. If not, then you better get used to the quiet.”

Gallagher turned to face her for a few seconds, placing a leathered holster in her hands. This was a shock to her, her father used to place on of these on the end table whenever he got home from a long day at the office. It was undeniable that this thing could pack some serious heat. Chole didn’t have a gun license, nor did she think she would need one for a job like this.

“There here will keep you safe.” The man held up a taser, it’s end was yellowed, a few red buttons interrupting the pitch plastic. “Chances are you won’t need to use it. But if you ever have to pull this trigger the next thing you do is call me. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” Chloe choked out, trying her best to swallow the anxiety “So it’ll just be me then?”

“It’ll just be you.” He tossed her the keys to the shed, she struggled to shift everything to the other hand as she grasped the cold metal. It was fairly easy, the spring heat biting at the edge of her neck as Gallagher walked past her, “Good Luck Beale.”

She drew in a sharp breath as she watched him walk away. Luck? She was going to need a little more than that.


	2. Chapter 2

**The tip of** the iron shovel moved past the dirt, it’s potent scent filling Chloe’s lungs, clawing at her throat as she struggled to shift one more load over her shoulder. The pristine blue blazer that she wore around her shoulders for the interview stayed around her waist now, the base tickling behind her knees.

A sharp ache ran along her arm and to her neck, she would need drugs, and a lot of them, to get a few hours of sleep in before her first class at twelve. Barden University didn’t take well to more than one absence, and she had already wasted the first one on a revival tour for ABBA. They weren’t even the real thing, just mimics.

She had fun that night, though. Aubrey had forced the ginger out of her comfort zone, getting a few alcoholic beverages in her before she could really enjoy herself. Back then, it wasn’t too hard pulling an all-nighter. Now, as she stood shoulder deep in a grave, she could barely keep her eyes open.

The plot had been clearly marked, the girl finally hitting the height that she needed to. She let out a small grunt as she hauled the shovel over the side, pressing her fingertips into soft soil as she tried to get a foothold on the little ledge she carved out of the soil.

It was easy enough to hoist herself up, her back pressing against moist grass as she stared up at the starry night sky. Her clothes and hands were wrecked, her whole body throbbing. Part of her just wanted to lay there until daybreak, but it was only three am, eight hours of hard labor and she was craving a hot shower.

Chloe breathed out, slowly sitting up as she adjusted the holster around her shoulders. She didn’t’ see a point to it really. The town was tiny, and grave robbers didn’t seem to want to dig through feet of sod to get to a coffin full of cheap jewelry. She wasn’t one to judge though, her main focus on wandering back to a shed that she only saw once.

Her boots crunched against dry grass, shoulders slumped as she held the brass keys between her lips. It tasted like blood- the coppery edge thick and strong against her tongue. The taste was almost overwhelming, the one time she was on the wrong side of a punch coming back to her mind. It was late enough for the air to be chilly, her nose running as she propped the shovel up against the side of the tin shed.

“Fuck,” Chloe mumbled under her breath as she struggled with the keys, her fingers numb and blistered. A thick line of crimson was dripping from a blister that formed on the edge of her palm. One that she had ignored until now. It stung. She peeled the door open before shoving the equipment back in its place, the leather gloves finally hung up.

The young girl drew in a sharp gasp as a loud and unforgiving bang rapped against the side of her skull. It made her mouth instantly dry, her breath catching roughly in her throat as she instinctively reached for the soft grip of the taser. “Great, one night and I’m already tripping.”

She shook her head to herself, her heart still pounding against the inside of her wrist. It was probably a car backfiring; the road was closed and enough people took to the midnight streets to burn some rubber. She was usually behind safe walls, though. Not in the middle of a moonlit graveyard.

Regardless, she knew she had to swallow her pride, bite down roughly on the fear that arose against the back of her mind. There was more at stake here than just her safety. She needed this job, and something told her that Gallagher wasn’t much for second chances.

Chloe squared her shoulders, hearing another non-coincidental bang run through the near-empty lot. She pulled the taser from the holder, pressing the small button on the side of the weapon. It worked like a drill. To the left was on, to the right was off. If the button was stagnant in the middle, then it was locked.

She had never been tasered before, but she had seen videos: People would laugh at the way large men and woman would freeze up and drop to their knees. It was all comical until you really thought about how much electricity one of these things carried.

The girl walked slowly, ducking behind large headstones as the fear of stepping on a grave disrespectfully left her mind. She would end up under the stone slab if she wasn’t careful enough- her breath shallow and rushed as she reached a large oak tree that was just beginning to change colors with the creeping seasons.

Bark scraped against her bare arms as she peaked around the ridge. There wasn’t much light- a dull blue glow casting along the figure of a shorter woman. She held her own shovel, hands resting on her hips as she stared down a grave that was freshly dug. The mountain of soil and mud that stood to her side was a testament to her work. The golden beam of a flashlight sweat across the names written on the stones.

She looked too young to be out for cash but too old to have wandered into the yard without supervision. A girl that Chloe recognized. Of course, she couldn’t quite tell with the darkness that shrouded both of them, her breath still shallow.

The beam of light suddenly flipped away from the names carved and against the tree that Chloe held her ground behind. There was no way that the girl could have heard her- not when she barely made a sound. Her heartbeat was echoing in her eardrums as she quietly gasped and pressed the nave of her back against the oak. The taser was strung across her chest, finger resting easily on the trigger. She closed her eyes, sucking in a breath. It was like a horror movie, she was too afraid to move against the current- to see if whoever that stranger was had darker plans in store.

Icy fingers were quick to wrap around Chloe’s wrist, the grip tight- almost crushing as the red-head blindly aimed the weapon and pulled the trigger. A loud and eminent cracking filled the air, even with closed eyes, Chloe could see the flashing light the taser provided. The grasp on her was quickly released as a loud thump filled the college students ears.

“Ow! Oh my God” The rough voice of another caused Chloe to take a stumbling leap back as the stranger laid face up on the ground. Her hand was cupped over her ribs, the other outstretched above her as she let out a loud moan. “You fucking tasered me, dude?”

“Wh-Who are you?” Chloe asked, voice breaking under the pressure. “What are you doing here?”

Despite being on the ground, the stranger gave a small chuckle and smile. She was pale, her lips a deep shade of pink against fair skin and deep brown hair. She was dressed in all black, a leather jacket protecting against the mercy of the breeze.

“One question at a time, Red.” She grumbled, outreaching a hand towards the shocked girl.

Chloe almost retracted into herself, her whole entire body frozen in a type of emotion that she couldn’t really describe. It was odd, the pull that moved past her mind. She stared thoughtfully at the girl who was expecting a hand up.

The stranger let out a small groan before hoisting herself up, her hand pressing against a raw mark on her shoulder. She must have hit it on the way down, her deep coffee eyes reflecting discontent as the dark clouds cleared from an already full moon. It shaded her features, making her look darker in an odd way.

“I’m not afraid to use this. Who the fuck are you?” She Chole hissed again, tightening her grip on the gun as she raised it up again.

The mysterious figure stared at her, one eyebrow raised as she cocked her head to the side. A few seconds passed, the deep yellow beams of headlights sweeping across the length of the yard. The sound of tires against gravel, a moment of relief passed through the taller girl, only to be washed away as the sound of an engine slowly drifted away.

“This?” The girl cracked a dazzling smile, her hand quickly wrapping around the taser as she pulled it from Chloe’s sweat-filled palm easily. She threw it over her shoulder as she stepped closer, trusting that the weapon would shatter into a million pieces when it came in contact with rounded cement or marble.

“Shit,” Chloe mumbled.

The girl was close to her now, shorter, but intimidating. She held her stance strong, the scent of fresh leather and soil coated Chloe’s lungs with its potent aroma. It mixed with vanilla, pomegranate maybe. She couldn’t tell. Her own breath was shaking enough to put the metallic undertones aside.

“Oh, watch the language Red.” She smirked, “I’m impartial to it, but you never know who’s listening.”

“We’re the only ones here.”

“Mm, Beca.” She lifted her chin slightly. “Beca Mitchell.”

“What?” Chloe knit her eyebrows together, fear lapping at the back of her neck.

“My name,” She leaned forward. “It’s Beca Mitchell, and you look way too young to call yourself a gravedigger.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Chloe stared** quizzically at the girl in front of her. She was standing strong despite the amount of electricity that had just coursed through her veins. She still rubbed the small spot on her shoulder, more out of tenderness than pure pain. She slowly moved her touch to her neck, scratching her collarbone. She was right, the red-head was too young to be a gravedigger.

Instead of attempting to explain herself she watched as Beca propped herself up on one of the headstones. Her feet were dangling as she let out a small breath. It was getting chilly enough for the air to condense in front of her like it was walking on its own thin sheet of ice.

“You uh,” the college girl cleared her throat slightly, taking another approach. “You said we weren’t alone?”

“That was just a guess.” Beca explained, “Places like these are always subject to a lot of listening ears whether we can sense them or not.” 

“Like ghosts?” Chloe tried.

“No, Well, I suppose maybe.” She pondered the question for a second, fully with her attention trained on the deadened grass where dirt had just been compacted. To Chloe’s full understanding the decomposition just below a layer was good for the sod that would eventually sprout on top. “Do you believe in the unbelievable?”

“I’m entertaining the idea,” Chloe admitted. She had already spent enough time hearing a complete stranger out. In any other case, she would have been darting back to her car and stumbling with the keys until she was snuggled under her covers back at the dorm. Instead- she listened intently. “Does it have something to do with why you’re out here in the middle of the night?”

“You are very persistent.” Beca hopped down from the stone, starting to walk towards the edge of the graveyard where she had just come from. It was close to the shed- but nearing the older part of the yard. The one that ran out of room when Chloe was still learning how to walk. It had a lot of history- the stones broken and overrun with moss. No one was around the visit the dead this far back. Not unless they were next to them. “What about Vampire’s then? If you’re not partial to ghosts.”

Chloe scoffed, shoving her sore hands in her pockets as she picked up her pace to catch up with the girl who was trudging up the hill. “With ghosts there are proof. You know? Tape recordings and evidence. But vampires are myths. Stories.”

“Mm,” Beca pursed her lips, her deep brown eyes catching the moonlight as the glanced over at her companion. “This place, this graveyard is part of the history that you’re so easy to dismiss to stories.”

“the history of vampires?”

“The history of this town.” She spoke softly. “Do you know Dracula?”

Of course, Chloe knew of Dracula. It was the one thing that every single story of blood-sucking demons was based on. Vlad the Impaler was fond of stealing one love from another based off of infatuation. She had to read the classic for her gothic literature class. Something that didn’t have anything to do with the medical major she had chosen. The brunette didn’t’ wait for her to answer.

“He had to get the inspiration of immortality from somewhere, so he chose this town.”

“He did?” Chloe sounded out carefully, cocking an eyebrow at the stranger’s statement.

She just nodded in return, stopping in the middle of the yard. There was a slight chilling breeze that pressed against Chloe’s body. She tried to ignore it but crossed her arms over her chest to keep warm. Beca took notice but said nothing. Instead, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her dirt-stained jeans.

“Mm,” Beca hummed as she turned fully to face the red-head. “Do you know who Mercy Mitchell is?”

Chloe cocked a brow at the mention of the name. She had never heard it before but the name etched into the stone below their feet was the exact one Beca had spoken. Moss was overtaking the date, growing into the indentations. “An ancestor of yours?”

“The first ever documented vampire.”

“That’s a little hard to believe.”

“Not for the townspeople.” She clarified. “Back in the 1800’s, Mercy’s family got hit with consumption. It was a sickness that ravaged through most of the town but had the unfortunate pleasure of taking out the Mitchells first.”

“Consumption?” Chloe lifted her chin slightly “As in tuberculosis?”

Beca nodded thoughtfully “It was a different time. There was no sense in peoples thought patterns when they were afraid. When Mercy’s mother and older sister fell ill in the middle of spring they buried the two of them without a second thought. But then Mercy took to the sickness in late winter.”

“That’s normal, though.” The medical student was fully in tune with the story at this point, no matter how odd it was to listen to this far into the night. “If the cells were still in the house, which I’m sure they were, then bacteria has a greater chance of hitting someone… so young?”

“She was young. Much younger than the two that had died before her. So they placed her in a tomb. One that was essentially like a freezer at that point in the winter.” Beca let out a small breath, one that was barely audible. “The townspeople were convinced that the Mitchells were demons forged from fire, so they dug up the mother and the sister.”

“Were they?” Chloe asked quietly.

“Were they what?”

“Demons?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in that type of thing.”

“Oh, I don’t.” Chloe spoke with care “But mass hysteria is another story.”

“They were decomposed.” She said “But Mercy wasn’t. Which wasn’t uncommon. She was frozen solid and had been since the snow first fell. So they called Jesse Fell.”

“Jesse Fell?” Chloe cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Mercy’s older brother.” Beca lifted her chin slightly at the stone that was right next to Mercy’s. It wasn’t crumbling under the weather that was taking over the rest of the section. The date wasn’t covered either. 1864. There was some discoloration, that much both girls could tell. Even in the dark. “The mayor was convinced that if they took Mercy’s heart and turned it into ash, then Jesse would live forever.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Chloe scoffed “Even without modern medicine it should be common sense.”

“Fear persuades people to do a lot,” Beca said, crossing her arms over her chest. “It can cause a whole entire wave of panic among a seemingly normal town.”

“Or keep me rooted to my spot while a complete stranger goes on about a towns forgotten history.” Chloe earned a small, but dazzling, smile from the very stranger she mentioned. It made a warmth originate in the pit of her stomach, one that countered the breeze nicely. “One who still hasn’t gotten to the point about why she’s really here.”

“Right, well” Beca’s smile faltered, it almost faded completely from view. Her dark hair was clouding her equally as pitch eyes as the mood of the conversation shifted drastically. She had her jaw clenched as she glanced at the iron gate that wrapped around most of the property line. It was impossible to leave without a key that only Chloe possessed. Chloe and Gallagher. “I couldn’t very well leave my family here, now could I?”

Chloe tilted her head to the side as she watched Beca carefully. She was sure of herself, surer than anyone the red-head had ever seen. Her stance was strong and eyes hard. She looked normal aside from a long streak of dirt running from the edge of her ear to the base of her chin where she had smudged it. Her hands were caked with color, lips slightly parted. She didn’t look crazy. She couldn’t be, but the words that just escaped her mouth was enough to get her committed.

“Chloe, the scary thing about humans is their willingness to give into curiosity.” Beca took a slight step forward. The dead grass crunched under the rubber edge of her shoe. The red-head drew in a quick breath. She smelled of wet earth, the mud that streaked her cheek was distracting and eminent. Her eyes had shifted to a dirtied blue, something Chloe hadn’t noticed at first.

“What are you looking for, huh?” The girl steadied herself, trying to keep her hair from standing on edge. “Closure about some ancestors that were believed to be… vampires?”

“Closure?” Beca laughed, it was almost bitter. Her words sour against the college student’s ears. “My dear, you think I would go through all of this for closure? No… it’s obligation.”

“To who?”

There was a loud bang across the lot. It was one that couldn’t’ be a car backfiring. She had trusted her instinct enough to swallow her fear. It was bubbling back up like the same trip she took with Aubrey. The alcohol had been too much for her and brought everything to a halt on the long drive home. Abba wasn’t worth it then, just like staying and speaking to an alluring stranger wasn’t worth it now.

“To her,” Beca’s icy gaze darted towards the large oak tree that Chloe had assaulted her under. The taser was still in black pieces, broken and unreachable. She knew, somehow, that the sour taste in her mouth was a warning. A large and misshapen shadow stalking slowly across the grass. Her heart was in her chest. “You’re nervous.”

“You’re her.” Chloe hissed, ignoring the sympathetic look on the girl’s features. “You’re the older sister.”

She was angry, not confused. She should have been confused. Vampires didn’t’ exist much less in a small town that didn’t’ make a mark on any right. This was her first night on the job and here she was in front of a girl she knew nothing about. A girl that she could mark as criminally insane. But she was confident in her words. Confident in her history because she lived through it.

“You’re very clever.” Beca lifted an eyebrow as she glanced back at the shape that was still standing silently in the shadows. Mother dearest, Chloe presumed. “You shouldn’t’ have taken this job, Chloe.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Her eyes were** frozen over, like frost that quickly spread over a crystal windshield. The night had grown cold and ashen, Chloe’s breath rapid as she blinked away from the darkness that spread like wildfire. The only warm thing about this night.

Chloe’s hand rested lazily on her stomach, moving up and down with every movement she dared to take. The pain that moved past her body was unimaginable. Excruciating to the point of no return. Pins and needles danced across joints as she clenched her eyes shut.

“Fuck,” The red-head struggled to grasp her surroundings. It was almost impossible. A stiffness was eminent in her neck- sore and undeniable. She propped herself up on her elbow, glancing around as the sun started to rise in a milky sky. The graveyard. She was still here.

Her fingers found their way to the syrupy liquid that wicked into the collar of her shirt, it was dried and scabbed over a painful mark that she couldn’t quite place. Everything felt so hazy. She heard a noise, met a girl. Then nothing. There was nothing left of her memory to suggest why she would be laying in the darkest part of the graveyard after the first night on the job.

A buzz filled the air. Her phone, it was still wedged in her pocket. Why she didn’t’ call the police last night escaped her. She was in a haze. She was still in that haze. A low fog had rumbled from the cooling ground as the sun began to warm up the morning air. She fished in her jeans until she cringed away from the bright neon screen. Aubrey. She had called at least fifteen times.

Sixteen counting this one.

“Hello?” Chloe was shocked at the gruffness of her own voice.

“Chloe?” Aubrey spoke smoothly, worry laced within her words as the college student begrudgingly pulled herself up from the ground. She had to get to her car. Get to a shower and a nice glass of water that would quench the undeniable thirst that followed suit. She was loud. Too damn loud. “Where the hell are you? You went to that interview, and then nothing.”

“Sorry,” The red-head scratched the back of her neck, careful not to catch the wound that she hadn’t gotten a good look at yet. “I must have fallen asleep. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Fallen asleep?” her friend scoffed. Chloe could just imagine the pensive gaze on the woman’s face. She was probably up pacing the small length of their dorm room half the night. “In a cemetery?”

“The grass was comfy.” She squeaked, trying to convince herself more than anything. “I’ll be home soon, just don’t… don’t freak out okay?”

“Why would I?” Aubrey was calm. An unnerving calm. “Not like my roommate decided to vanish in the middle of the night after a meeting with the town recluse.”

“Bye, Aubrey.” Chloe deadpanned, shaking her head as she shut off her phone. The light was too damaging. It made her want to shield her eyes and crawl under the blankets. Her car looked like the nicest thing she had seen for a long while. The girl settling into the front seat as she turned the keys in the ignition.

Fuck. That engine was roaring.

Chloe gritted her teeth, shaking her head as she used her shaky grasp to put the vehicle in drive. Sensory overload was an understatement at this point. Her lips were chapped and mouth tasting of iron.

Her thoughts wandered as she drove down the nearly empty streets of the small college town. The bakery lights flooded the street in a golden pattern as she passed- but the rest of the area was desolate. Empty and quiet. Just like the girl she had met last night. She was odd- so odd that she was alluring. Her words were like knives, but the sharp edge had been shaved down to nothing more than a smooth surface. A kitten with bite. 

She tapped her fingers nervously on the steering wheel, drawing in a sharp breath as she pulled into the parking space in front her dorm. The glass was tinted, a few students who were foolish enough to take early morning classes half-heartedly made their way to lecture. She locked the door behind her, pulling out her badge to flash it to the woman who always sat behind the desk.

“Whoa, Miss Beale” Stacie spoke with care as she raised herself from her chair. It was squeaky, the wheels in good need of a replacement or a can of oil. She came out from behind the desk. She looked tired herself, dark hair falling into an even darker gaze. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” She lied through her teeth, not knowing the state that she was in. “Really, it was some Halloween party. An idiot with some fake blood.”

“It’s November.” Stacie lifted a brow, “Do you need me to call someone?”

“No,” She assured her, a little hurriedly “No, it was one of those themed raves. Nothing to worry about. I promise.”

The security guard wasn’t too convinced. She waved the girl away, regardless. It was nearing the end of her shift and the Red-head clearly was in need of a shower and a good rest. She lowered herself back into her seat as she shook her head. Chloe made her way to the dorm room at the end of the hall. It was tiny and smelled of floral candles. This morning, it was overwhelming, though.

She didn’t bother with the key on the chain, instead, she pushed her way in, knowing that Aubrey would leave in unlocked- just waiting for her to come in. The blonde was curled up on her twin bed- clearly stressed enough to not sleep a wink the night before either. She stirred at the sound of the closing door.

“Chlo?” She sniffed, rubbing her eye, “Oh my god, Chloe.”

She was standing now, the red-head dropping her leather bag by the door as she let her sore shoulders slump. “That job is no joke.” She defended, voice exhausted.

Aubrey lifted her chin slightly, deep grey eyes peering into crystal ones. She placed her cold grasp under her friend’s chin, shifting her head to the side slightly to get a look at the bloody mess that ravished her shoulder. “You’re not going back there.”

Chloe let out a small noise that was a mix between a groan and a growl. She started to busy herself with finding a pair of clean sweatpants and a t-shirt. Everything had the scent of gain attached to it. It was almost sickening. She needed a shower, and fast. Her Russian Lit class wouldn’t wait for her to get presentable.

“I have to Bree,” She finally spoke as she held the cold fabric between her fingertips. “There’s no way I can afford another year at Barden on just a scholarship.”

Her blonde friend was silent. She was lucky enough to have a trust fund saved up. She was slowly working off that- not worrying herself with how to pay for another semester at a private boarding school. Her father was a meticulous man who cared about planning. Unlike Chloe’s mother who barely scraped by when she was growing up. Money was few and far between in the Beale house. 

She dropped it, shaking her head as she flopped back down onto her mattress. Her eyes were dark and sunken in. In an odd way, Chloe knew that her friend worried more about her safety than she did. Everything was still so mixed up in her memory. The Twenty-year-old stared for a few seconds before reaching for the handle of the door.

Chloe was quiet as she padded down the hallway towards the shared showers. At first, they made her uncomfortable. The thought of flashing an unsuspecting girl was enough to make heat rise to her cheeks and burn brightly. Now it was almost normal to see a towel slip or a woman who just didn’t’ give a damn about who was watching. 

Part of her didn’t’ want to look in the mirror. Her appearance was jarring, not only to her overprotective roommate but to a security guard that would never bat an eye towards intoxicated students stumbling back to their rooms. It made her nerves taught. They bubbled up against her stomach as she settled into a small stall that the bathroom had to offer.

She closed the small shower curtain, it’s plastic rings scraping against the metal bar. She gritted her teeth, cringing away from the rough sound. There was a small mirror tacked to the small area that she set her towel and clothes. It was chipped at the edge, bleeding into a sickly green.

Chloe took a steadying breath as she finally caught a glimpse of her reflecting in the thin glass. She stared directly into her eyes. The once blue was dull and pained. She was nervous. She shouldn’t be, though, right? It was her, just a different version of her. She had spent a night in a graveyard, that was enough to alter anyone’s perception.

Her skin was pale, ashen, just like the fog that rolled through the protruding headstones. Chloe let out a slight gasp as she turned her head painfully to the side- her messy ginger hair falling from a hair-tie that was barely holding itself together.

The blood that so contrasted against her skin was strong and slowly drying to a copper brown. This was one of her favorite shirts- she regretted wearing it to the interview. Wearing it to dig a giant hole in the ground.

The one thing Chloe couldn’t’ tell was how bad the wound was. She was so muddy- so sore, that nothing really seemed to matter. She didn’t want to go to the emergency room. Refused. There was no way she could afford to miss another round of classes just for a small cut.

Instead, she let out a small sigh as the flicked on the water, waiting patiently as a thick steam filled the small room. She would be okay. It would all be okay. It had to be. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Her mind wondered** pensively as she ran her thumb over the plastic edge of her pen. She was biting the inside of her cheek to keep from clicking it again. She couldn’t afford one more sideways glance from the snobby guy sitting in front of her. He was one of those hipster types. The button-down shirt he sported was way too pressed and self-conscious for him to wear to an early lecture. 

Chloe let out a small breath as she shifted in her seat. The sweatshirt she wore covered up the nasty cut that was spread across the edge of her neck and down her shoulder. It was weird. The laceration moved almost like puncture wounds- not a straight shot from a fall of a scape.

It burned now- itching like a bug bite. She inadvertently scratched at it through the black fabric that was covering her torso. It was hot in the room, or at least to her it was. Everyone else was quickly pulling their sleeves down to their wrists to keep distractions to a minimum. Weird.

“Professor Aurum is pretty boring, huh?” The voice made Chloe’s already numb fingers grow cold. She clicked the pen- that same boy with the sharp green eyes shooting her a childish scowl.

“What are you doing here?” She asked harshly, not even bothering to look to her left. She sat at the back of the auditorium for the pure solidarity of it all- but now that she was in a shaded corner of a large room, she regretted the choice.

“I’m not allowed to show any interest in Greek Mythology?” Beca’s voice raised in the form of a question.

“You’re not enrolled in this class.’ Chloe tried her hand at a bit of banter. It was clear this girl wouldn’t lose interest in being a pain in her ass anytime soon.

“I am now,” She spoke softly, settling into the auditorium seat that creaked under her weight. She smelled so thickly of cinnamon. It made a headache edge towards Chloe’s temple as she clenched her eyes shut and leaned her head back. The light from the projector was deadly. She didn’t even question why the brunette had picked up a class halfway through a term.

She was quiet as the woman in front of the room droning on. She was young- fresh out of college herself. Not many people wanted to dive into the world of sex-driven Gods. She got the job easy enough and ha a slack way of teaching that Chloe appreciated.

Her stalker shifted her position, moving closer to Chloe. Again, with that spice riddled scent of her. She had never taken that much notice to the smell things carried- but now it seemed to be the only thing that mattered. She squeezed her eyes tighter.

“Oh, you’re feeling it, aren’t you?” Beca asked, a hint of a smile in her words.

She finally gave her attention to the girl. Sitting up straighter than she was a few moments ago. The muddy blue gaze stared back at her, curious and expecting some type of answer. “Feeling what?”

“Miss Beale,” Professor Aurum’s voice cut through the audience. The whole group of half-interested college kids turned around in their seats to get a good luck at the girl who was trying her best to stay hidden. “Do you have an answer for me?”

The woman pushed her hand against the top of the desk, the spotlight that was on her looed golden against grey eyes. She had mousy brown hair and deep painted lips. They were red like an apple a kid would produce the week before finals.

“Can you repeat the question?” She asked, not confidence in her voice.

Aurum let out a small breath, knowing the girl wasn’t paying much attention to the lesson at hand. “What three Olympians divided the regions?”

 _Three._ Right, they had gone over this before. The red-head knew they had, it was sometime last week. She had taken care to get those names in her notes if nothing else. She cleared her throat, a nervous habit. “Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon.”

Beca beamed next to her. “Smart and pretty, you’re just the whole package, aren’t you Chloe?”

The ginger ignored her as the professor just nodded in surprise. Even without paying attention the answer should have been recalled quickly, and it was. She didn’t’ have any room to object further, and instead went into the assignments due before their next meeting.

The lights raised against the once dark space as the class dismissed. Chloe had never been more grateful to get out of a room before. She caught the edged stare of her instructor but didn’t say anything as she tugged the edge of the fabric over the purple bruise of her shoulder. Beca seemed to cock her head at the woman herself, earning a pensive glare before standing from her seat and following Chloe out.

Her phone buzzed as she exited the building into the sunny courtyard, she cringed away as she pulled her hood up, fishing her cell out of her back pocket. Beca stopped with her, crossing her arms over her black t-shirted chest. She cleaned up nicely from last night- her hair flowing over her shoulder as she cockily watched her new friend.

“That your pal Gallagher?” There was a bit of jealously lacing her voice. Something Chloe cocked her own brow at.

“Yeah, actually.” She shook her head as she shoved her phone away. She was annoyed- there was no reason for her to give Beca the time of day. Nothing stopping her from storming off from an undone stranger. “Thankfully no one dropped dead today.”

“That’s a very optimistic way to look at things.” Beca pointed out as the red-head scoffed and started to walk towards her dorm. It took a few seconds of the younger girl staring after her longingly before she followed.

“Listen, what the hell is your problem?” Chloe stopped suddenly, turning quickly on her heel. It made her feel sick to her stomach. This was almost worse than a hangover. “I tasered you last night and you still can’t take a damn hint?”

Beca laughed lightly, shoving her hands into her pockets as she got a good look at the girl in front of her. She was in rough shape. Her eyes were sunken in, a dull blue instead of the vibrant ones she remembered from last night. Beca felt a twinge of guilt- one she would never let Chloe catch wind of.

“You’re hungry,” Beca stated instead.

“No, no I’m really not.” She shoved past the girl “I’m sick to my stomach, so if you’ll excuse me.”

She was shocked as a cold grasp wrapped itself around her wrist. It was electrifying. Such a slight touch sent chills up her arm as she stifled a shudder. It was the same allure that kept her in the graveyard last night. The same type of feeling that rooted her in her spot now. She breathed in.

“Mm, you’re not craving a burger Chloe,” she continued as the girl turned back to face her slowly. “Maybe one that’s a little underdone.”

“You’re fucking insane.” Chloe yanked her hand away, gasping as she hit the warmth of someone who was behind her. Miss Aurum. Papers were scattered across the ground, Chloe’s natural instinct kicking in as she knelt down and hastily started to scoop them up. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, Chloe, no harm done.” She spoke smoothly, her hair falling into her eyes as she started to pick up papers herself. The two of them shared a few moments of silence as the college student and young teacher stood. She handed over the term papers she had collected, making sure not to look at any of the red markings that littered the paragraphs. “Thank you,”

“No problem,” She gave a weak smile as she took a step back, fully expecting to run into Beca. Instead, there was nothing, the darker woman had vanished completely. So that was the trick? Talk to other people instead of running.

“Actually, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.” The woman surprised her.

“Sure, of course,” She spoke- not really knowing what this was about. Attendance, or maybe a missed assignment a while back. She was quite frankly still shocked that the woman knew her name, most professors didn’t’ even bother. The students were just paychecks to them. But Aurum was different.

The woman motioned for her to follow her into one of the nearby buildings. It was brick and mortar, the large stone columns something Chloe never got a good look at. She stayed far away from the offices- but the truth was, they looked just like normal ones. It was the same in the city. A few teachers glanced up from their works as the two of them walked by.

“I’m sorry to pull you away from your life like this,” She mumbled, shifting her bag in her grasp as she shuffled with her keys. She opened her office door- against the scent was overstimulating. “I just noticed your new… friend?”

Her office was sleek, a large painting of the God’s hung against the drywall. There were a few statues near a huge mahogany bookshelf. It was lined with gold and red, different volumes of Latin lined every compartment.

“My new?” Chloe trailed off slightly as she wracked her mind “Oh, Beca. No, she’s not my friend. I barely even know her.”

Miss Aurum nodded slightly, stepping to the other side of her desk as she lowered herself into the leather chair. “Please, sit.”

“Thank you,” Chloe spoke softly. She was admittedly relieved to have a place to sit. She was tired, exhausted like the time she got the stomach flu after the county fair. Her stomach was bubbling. “I know she just transferred in…”

“She did, I saw her on my roster just this morning.” The woman nodded, “Are you feeling okay, Miss Beale?”

She went back to using the last name again. It made Chloe’s anxiety spike again. “No, but I’m sure it’s just a cold. If this is because of showing up to class today, I sat in the back-“

“Is that nasty bite on your shoulder a product of a cold too?”

Chloe snapped her mouth shut, her hand instinctively moving up to her throat. She flinched away from the cold touch. It was stinging. Painful. “I should go,” She hastily tried to stand but wavered.

“Chloe, do you know what the Strigoi is?”

“No,” She lowered herself back down “I don’t think so.”

“They’re troubled souls.” She said, leaning back in her chair. “People who couldn’t find peace in their lives, so they’re doomed to spend death in search of something more. A purpose.”

“I’m not sure I’m understanding.”

“The Greeks had a lot of tactics to explain away things,” Miss Aurum stood, walking slowly to the front of the desk. “Like wedlock, and shockingly enough, being a ginger.”

Chloe swallowed roughly, leaning back in her seat as she stared up at the woman. She had a natural way with words. One that didn’t’ feel like she was talking down to someone. She was instructing them. Teaching them.

“How do you become one?” Chloe asked eventually.

“Well, a lot of ways. Sin, mostly, but the Greeks believed that if a cat walked over a grave after someone passed, they’d come back as the demon that lived inside of them all along.”

“That’s morbid,” Chloe finally said, lifting her head up slightly. She still wasn’t sure why exactly why the teacher had pulled her so deep into her office just to give her an impromptu lesson about Greek demons.

“Beca is your cat.” Miss Aurum folded her hands in her lap.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“You do,” She said, “You don’t want to but you do.”

The two sat in a labored silence. She was getting it, pulling the pieces together. The whole elaborate story that was coming back to her in a hazy mess. The way she blacked out after a certain amount of time with Beca. How she woke up with a large bite on the edge of her throat.

“I have to find Beca,” She mumbled, knitting her eyebrows together.

“Something tells me she’ll find you.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**The sun was** just beginning to set, a deep golden haze working its way through the blinds of Chloe’s dorm room. Even with it’s muted tones, she still cringed away from it. She had a pounding headache, her whole body slumped as she flopped down on the edge of her bed. It was unmade, the blankets scratchy against the exposed skin.

She cherished the silence. It was time to think. Time to mull over the fact that a complete stranger had sunk her canine teeth into a major artery. The fact that she should be dead right now, even if she felt like she was half-way there. In a way, the words that Aurum spoke were comforting. Not as cryptic as she thought they would be.

It was easy to dismiss Beca as a nut-job. She had all the inner workings of a psychopath. She was disconnected and distant but craved the touch of another. That much Chloe could tell. But Aurum? She’s a respected professor, one that seemed more confident in her knowledge of vampire’s than the teenager with a tendency to brood.

Chloe let out a small sigh as she propped herself up on her elbow. She knit her eyebrows together. The one time she actually wanted answers the girl was nowhere to be found. The rough burn against the lining of her stomach didn’t seem to fade. It was growing, festering.

“Beca?” She asked this would never work. She knew it wouldn’t. She wasn’t like Beetlejuice of Bloody Mary, it would take more than a spoken word in an empty dorm room to summon the girl. “Shit.”

She clenched her eyes shut, knowing deep down that she would have to return to that graveyard. It was too soon. She was too weak. Everything was sore, the very sound of her breathing heightened. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Language, Red.”

Chloe jumped as she pulled a breath into her lungs. It was a painful one, she winced away from it as she got a good look at the girl who stood by the door. She had closed it softly, shoving her hands into her pockets as she got a good look at the divided-up room. One side was littered with bright pink and different inspiration boards. Chloe’s a darker shade of grey and turquoise.

“Are you finally ready to hear me out?” She asked, letting out a sigh as she lowered herself onto the bed next to the college student. The same cinnamon scent overwhelmed the room. It almost made Chloe’s mouth water. Almost.

“Depends,” She clenched her jaw “are you ready to keep the sarcasm down to the minimum?”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice,” Beca spoke softly. It was almost sincere- the way she talked in a calming manner. It was the smoothest she had ever offered to the girl.

Chloe sat in a labored silence for a few moments. Her hand was draped over her stomach as it raised and fell with each breath she took. The chill of the room didn’t have much effect on her already clammy skin.

“You’re my cat,” Chloe stated.

“Your what?”

“My cat, the one who walked over my grave.”

Beca swallowed roughly, clenching her jaw. “I… I’m not good at the whole, talking thing. I don’t know how to explain this to you or comfort you in a way that keeps you calm. It’s not something I’ve ever been good at.”

“You mean you’ve never told a girl that you murdered her in a graveyard?” Chloe deadpanned, turning her head to face the girl. She had her legs crossed, hands resting in her lap as she played with the tag of a cow stuffed animal that Chloe had since she was ten. The fur was matted, the color was less of a stark white and more of a sickly grey.

“I didn’t kill you,” She interjected, “I saved you. My mother killed you.”

“Oh, my hero.” Chloe snipped. “Your mom sounds like a dream.”

“We’re not here to talk about my issues.” Beca clenched her jaw, letting out a short breath. There was nothing comical about this moment- yet Chloe made jokes like it was second nature. It must have been a defense mechanism. Just like her sarcasm. The two bantered with such little knowledge about one another. “Chlo, if I don’t get you something to eat soon, you could die.”

“Again?” She growled, “You’d think once would be enough.”

“This is serious.” Beca nulled in a soft tone. Her fingers were quick to wrap around the gingers. Her touch was chilled but quickly warmed as she ran her thumb over the length of her companions. Chloe was tense, all of her not knowing how to react to this. How to react to Beca, and the situation. “If you die this time, you’re past saving, alright? So put on another jacket and get up.”

“I’m not cold,” Chloe whispered, staring down at her hand. Beca was squeezing her fingers. It was soothing despite the adrenaline that ran through her veins at a mile a minute. She bit the inside of her lip to stop from speaking.

“You will be,” Beca let out a small breath as she retracted her touch. It made Chloe’s own oxygen catch in her throat. Fuck. She didn’t even know if she was supposed to have a pulse, much less have one this loud in her ears.

The brunette was cryptic with her answers. Like she didn’t know who she was, much less how to talk a girl down. How to talk anyone down. This whole entire thing spurred from a quick moment of thinking. One that went against her nature.

She stood quickly, eyes darting towards the dorm room entrance. Chloe propped herself up and followed her gaze. She didn’t quite know if she would willingly follow this stranger wherever she wanted to go. This wasn’t like her professor. She wasn’t trustworthy.

The door was quick to open, it’s creaky hinges making Chloe press her palms against her eardrums as she let out a small groan. Everything was getting louder. Hissing at her from all angles as Beca gave her a curious stare.

Aubrey stood in the door, her bag slung over her shoulder as her slate eyes stared questioningly at her roommate. It wasn’t that Chloe never brought home any friends- they just never looked like this. Like a girl with piercings against her ears and dark clothing. She looked more like a bouncer at some fancy club than anything.

“Oh!” Aubrey quickly lifted her eyebrows as Chloe stood and raked a hand through her tangled hair. She looked like a mess- her scent thick with death as Beca stood in near silence. It was a clear change from the rosy cheeks that Chloe usually boasted. “Hi, who’s your friend?” 

Chloe stared dumbly at Aubrey for a few seconds. She smelled like vanilla. It was the same type of wave that washed over her before- but stronger. Like there was a metallic edge to her scent. It made her mouth water as she gazed right through her friend, quickly getting a tack on the sound of her heartbeat pounding against her chest.

Beca shoved her elbow into Chloe’s ribs, the girl sucking in quickly as she blinked a few times, catching her bearings. “Oh, uh right. Aubrey, this is Beca she’s my…”

“Study buddy.” Beca stuck her hand out to the perky blonde, only getting an apprehensive look back. “For Roman Mythology.”

“Greek,” Chloe spoke.

“Right,” Beca nervously laughed as she retracted her grasp, not getting any signs that Chloe’s roommate would reach forward and take her hand. “Which is why I need a study buddy in the first place.”

Chloe laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck. “She’s hopeless… We were just heading out, Bree, to get some coffee and catch up on the unit.”

“Mind if I join you?” Aubrey lifted her chin, trying to gauge the situation.

“No,” Beca spoke quickly, “I mean, yes- it’s probably going to be really boring. Flashcards and stuff.”

Aubrey pursed her lips as she narrowed her gaze. There was a bit of anger in the room that Beca could quickly pick up on as Chloe lost focus once more. She was staring straight ahead, mouth parted slightly as Beca wrapped her fingers easily around her shoulder, pulling her back. “Right, Chloe?”

“Right, yes. Yeah.” She shook her head as she grasped her bag from the bed behind the two. “I’ll bring you something back though, Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon?”

She was stumbling over her words as she dragged Beca behind her, not looking her friend in the eyes. Aubrey stepped away from the girls to let them pass regardless. It wasn’t setting right with her- none of this was. “Sure, be careful.”

The girls’ eyes didn’t leave Beca’s, her gaze sharp and unforgiving. She refused to back down, not to some alternative girl who was too pale for her own good. 


	7. Chapter 7

Tw: Blood, needles

* * *

 **The anger filled** her cobalt eyes, her jaw taught with pure rage as the wall behind the girl echoed under the sudden weight. Her breath was knocked from her lungs, the girl’s own gaze shocked and confused as the papers she held tumbled to the floor. They were files- files about other patients and diseases that Chloe couldn’t name. 

Her mouth was dry, like cotton or blood. Her mind scrambled. She didn’t even know what blood would taste like. It made her stomach churn and throat tighten at the thought of it. The thought of getting an ounce of something she had only gotten when she bit the inside of her lip.

Beca had her fingers wrapped around a doctor’s collar. Her knuckles were white and features contorted into pain. Urgency. She was steady in her movements, lips parted slightly as the woman under her grasp knit her eyebrows together.

“Beca,” Chloe dared, not trying to get any closer to Beca than she already was. Her eyes were racing to either end of the hallway- watching those damned automatic doors for any sign of movement. None came. Not in a small town like this one. Even with flu season on its brink it was quiet.

The brunette’s attention faltered, but she didn’t release the woman from her grasp. “What happened to our little deal, huh?”

“It’s been years, Beca.” The blonde croaked out. “Regulations have changed. Everything has changed.”

“For me, maybe.” The smaller girl drew in a sharp breath “But for her? Gail, come on. I will teach her. I will, you know me. But I can’t if she dies. Look at her.”

As slow breath filled the air before the doctor’s eyes slowly made their way to Chloe’s. She stared for a few moments, squinting her eyes as she took the girl in. She was slumped in her stance- a hood coving up the beginning of a nasty gash on her throat. There were black veins leading away from the source, a slick coat of sweat forming on her collarbone and dripping past her temple. She was shivering like she was cold, though.

Gail shoved her counterpart off of her, Beca relenting as the woman’s caring nature took over instead of her unwillingness to help an old family friend. Beca stepped aside, scratching the back of her neck as she gave a guilty look to her new companion.

The doctor stuck her chilled hand under Chloe’s chin, turning her head to the side as she winced in pain. She swallowed roughly, trying to lull the burn of having someone that close once more. Instead of vanilla or cinnamon.

“Fine,” She let out a long sigh, “Follow me.”

Beca gave Chloe a small shrug as the doctor started to walk with a certain stride towards the edge of the hallway. There were mahogany doors with glass smoky panes of glass. Gold lettering was marked on the edge, words written and meaningless. It reminded Chloe of personal investigators or old-time legal offices. She followed regardless, trying to ignore the icy feeling in the back of her throat.

 _Gail Abernathy, Technetium_. Was sprawled against the glass in the same blocked lettering. She struggled with her keys just like Professor Aurum did. The files were left untouched on the other end of the hallway, all three girls forgetting about the once important paperwork. 

“I don’t run a charity here.” The woman spoke, pushing the door open with a creak. She flicked on the golden light, making Chloe squint as she let out a shuddered breath. She didn’t quite understand what she was saying. Her eyes darted to the picture frames on the wall, family and a black lab that had a golden bone attached to the red leather collar. “If you want something, I get something in exchange. Sit.”

Chloe didn’t know what to do at first, it took a slight pressure on her shoulder from Beca for her to finally lower herself into the seat. It was cold, one of those shitty chairs that had fabric ripping at the seams and a bright splotchy yellow pattern.

“One ounce.” She spoke, reaching down to a mini-fridge in the corner. It was hidden away behind some printers and a couple of other documents. She had a hand turkey painting hung on bright green construction paper. The surface scrunched where too much paint had been used- dripping and messy just like the very blood she presented a few moments later.

It was in one of the opaque plastic bags that Chloe had only seen once at a blood drive for the Red Cross, and maybe on television a couple of times. It was never a sight to get enthralled about, yet now, her jaw was aching as that same burning ignited in her throat. She felt a rough pressure behind her eyes as she stifled a cough. She hadn’t realized Beca’s touch growing strong enough to crack a bone. She was holding her in place.

“You can have this.” Gail spoke with confidence as she let the sloshing liquid shift on the mahogany desk, “If I can have the same in return.”

“Fine.” Beca released her grip momentarily as she begrudgingly started to roll up her sleeve. The leather made an odd sound as it bent under he mercy. She stopped once the jacket was all the way above the fold of her elbow. “Just make it quick, please. I hate needles.”

“Interesting,” Gail leaned forward a bit, “But not from you, Mitchell. I have enough samples. I need the blood of someone in transition.”

“She’s too weak.” Beca snarled, instantly becoming a form of protection again as her fingers found Chloe’s shoulder again. “Taking that much will kill her.”

“Waiting for the perfect opportunity to get the fresh stuff will have the same effect.” Gail pointed out “Take it or leave it, Beca. It’s your choice.”

“I’ll do it.” Chloe finally spoke up, shocking the two in the room. She had been so quiet during all of this. She didn’t really know how to speak her mind when it came to gambling. This wasn’t for poker chips either. This was for something that Chloe couldn’t quite describe. She just knew she wanted whatever was in that bag more than anything. The scent was sweet and potent, her mouth watering as she shoved up her own sleeve- skin pale as those same black veins pulsed right under a soft colored canvas.

“Mm,” Gail got a mischievous smile on her pink lips as she pulled a kit from under her desk. Chloe positioned her arm right against the corner of the mahogany. Gail had lowered herself into a seat pushing the leather wheeled chair over to the girl. She wasn’t gentle with her movements.

She pulled a blue rubber strip from the little plastic box, tying it tight around Chloe’s upper arm. It pinched and pulled uncomfortably as the girl winced, Beca drawing in a long breath. She didn’t say a word though. “This might pinch a little.”

Chloe swallowed roughly as she closed her eyes and put her head back. It was something that she always did when blood was drawn. If she didn’t watch the needle pierce the vein than it wasn’t really there. It was just a discomfort that she could shove from her mind. This time, it felt draining though. Like her whole entire life was halting as the little glass tube filled with black blood.

“That’s enough,” Beca said.

Chloe was confused, it felt as if seconds had gone by, not enough time to grasp an ounce of blood from dry veins. She didn’t object though, instead of opening her eyes to the doctor wiping away excess liquid to the purple top of the vile as she placed it in the fridge with her lunch.

“Chlo,” Beca’s voice was soothing as she knelt in front of the girl, Gail watching curiously the brunette grasped the cold bag of blood. Its contents were dark, so dark that it was almost pitch.

A little plastic tip seemed to stop the syrup from moving from the end. Beca disregarded it, taking the edge in her mouth as she bit into the malleable plastic. It ripped easily enough, filling the room with the most fragrant smell that Chloe had ever experienced.

Crimson dripped against the edge of Beca’s pensive stare as she situated the small straw-like tube. She placed her free hand against Chloe’s jaw, drawing the girl’s attention once more. She was out of it, barely paying attention to anything that was happening in front of her. Exhaustion was racking her body, pain not a stranger.

“I need you to stay with me, alright?” Beca raised a brow as she used her thumb to part Chloe’s lips slightly, the girl wanting to squirm away as the first taste of blood finally soaked into her taste buds. It was overwhelming, the copper like swallowing a penny.

She coughed, spitting it back out as she shook her head in a grumbled voice, Beca trying to steady the ginger as much as she could. The blood dripped down her chin as she shook her head.

“Hey, I know” Beca coaxed once more, Chloe hating the taste, but despising the burn that followed right after. It was enticing, her fingers finally working around the plastic bag as she grabbed it herself- starting to gulp down the blood like she had been stranded in the desert for over a month with no access to water. That’s what it felt like, at this point, she didn’t’ care if she choked. She didn’t care about the doctor or the vampire who had changed her into this. Not when she finally had the relief that she was craving.

Beca sat back on her heels, letting out a small sigh of content as she glanced back at Gail. Her expression was almost taunting as color started to return to Chloe’s cheeks. The warmth never would, but at least she looked a little less like an extra from the walking dead and more like a colleges student surviving off of instant noodles.

Chloe let out a long breath as she finally pulled the bag away from her, the contents completely gone as she finally blinked her way back into some form of reality. Some form of consciousness that didn’t have a strong ache attached to it.

The brunette smiled, letting out a puff of air as she wiped the bright crimson from the corner of the girl’s mouth. “Welcome back, Red.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**The scent of** coffee was so strong it was almost nauseating, a machine behind the counter louder than Chloe could even fathom. It made her grit her teeth, digging her nails into the side of the table as the girl across from her set down both of their drinks. The steam rose into the air, clouding her vision of Beca.

“The sound bothering you?” She asked, raising her eyebrow slightly. She carried a look of disdain towards the black coffee. It was too hot and sour to drink. Chloe didn’t touch hers either, instead, she folded her hands in front of her.

“Is it that obvious?” The red-head parted her lips slightly.

“Well, to everyone else you look nauseous.” Beca cracked a small smile “But to me, you look overwhelmed.”

She nodded, swallowing roughly as her mind raced. In an unspoken sort of way, she knew there was no turning back now. Before the hospital- before she emptied that plastic bag of blood like it was a juice pouch on a hot summer day, she had a choice. A choice to give in to the death that loomed just behind the edge of her conscience.

“Alright, hey” The smaller girl reached her hand out and grasped Chloe’s. It was a simple gesture, her touch soft and everlasting as she ran her thumb along the edge of the girls just like she had done in the dorm room. “What do you hear?”

“A lot,” Chloe knit her eyebrows together as she let out a shaky sigh. “It’s so… loud.”

“What specifically?” Beca pressed forward. “Really focus.”

“Okay,” She drew in a breath, clenching her jaw as she slowly closed her eyes. What did she hear? The bubbling of hot water folding under the mercy of raising degrees. The small argument that the couple across the dining room had about being monogamous. Even the girls who shared the same shade of lipstick in the tiny bathroom that rested behind a large mahogany door. “Wow.”

“If you ever hear too much… ever get too bombarded with everything that’s happening around you, tune into your heartbeat. Your pulse.”

“I still have one?” Chloe cautiously opened her eyes, mouth dry like cotton.

“Of course you do,” The girl smiled softly “It beats slower than average- but you’ll always have one, Chlo, that’ll never leave you.”

She nodded, finally wrapping her hands around the porcelain mug. It was warm against her palms. She needed that warmth, needed that comfort that she didn’t know she was taking for granted until now.

“What else?” She adjusted her stance “I… I’ve read all the stories and seen all the movies, but I don’t know. This doesn’t feel like anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s so clear and confusing all at once.”

Beca nodded slowly. She didn’t really know where to begin. It took a few seconds for her to gather her thoughts before she finally spoke. “You’re faster now, your reflexes better and stamina stronger. But it doesn’t’ come without a price. The sun has a tendency to hurt,”

“You were in the sun yesterday,”

“I was.” She nodded, finally pulling the cup filled with inky liquid to her lips. She didn’t’ sip it yet, instead, she let the steam cloud her vision. “I’ve been alive long enough to build up a bit of a tolerance. It’s not impossible.”

“How long, exactly?” Chloe asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“How long have you been… you?”

“Well, I’ve always been me,” Beca abandoned the prospect of stomaching coffee after a long day. She set it back down and leaned forward to answer the question. “But I’ve been a different version of me since 1892.”

“So what you said about your sister then, that was true?”

“It was.” Despite not swallowing the liquid, her mouth was sour. Talking about her history made her nervous. It was natural for her to deflect everything with a snide attitude and dark personality. But with Chloe it was different, she almost willed herself to open up. “She unfortunately never got the chance to see the brighter side of ten years old.”

“I’m sorry,” Chloe whispered, not knowing how to comfort a 125-year-old vampire. “How did it happen… how did you become what you are?”

“With craft would be the simple answer.” She let out a thick sigh “At that point, my mom, she had died. The whole town was reeling, there wasn’t much for anyone to do but sit and wonder while the funeral parlor got more traffic than ever.”

Chloe sat back in her seat. Instead of focusing on the sound of her pulse, she tracked her attention to the soothing sound of Beca’s voice. A stranger that she wanted to know everything about even if it took all night. She had the time now- after her little meal, there was no chance she could bring herself to rest if she even needed to.

“When I started to feel ill, I prayed. Day and night, I would pray that I would be able to stick around to help my father raise Mercy. My brother, Jesse, had left by then. Gone to school where consumption couldn’t touch him. We barely had money, but did have enough food to last through the winter.”

“You knew you would die?” Chloe whispered, feeling the fear that had lasted the past 24 hours take a home back in her stomach in an obscene wave.

Beca nodded. “I was sick, and no one could help me. Not even God, it seemed… but I did meet someone, one night. I had ventured away from the house against the doctors best wishes. I wasn’t old enough to drink, but I was determined to have one before everything ended. She helped me.”

“She turned you?”

“Not right away.” Beca let out a small breath “I fell in love, hard and fast. I didn’t have much time to determine the consequences of being infatuated with a woman in that time and age, so all bets were off. I thought I was just fun, for her. An experiment.”

Chloe swallowed a gulp of her coffee. It was filled to the brink with creamer- a lighter shade of white that steam quelled close to the edge. She didn’t’ care about the heat anymore.

“I was dying, and both of us knew that, but she never brought up what she was, what she is.” Beca parted her lips slightly. “I was on my death bed when she told me that there was an answer for it all. A way to keep me alive long enough for us to be together. To run away together.”

“What happened?” The Red-head willed. She didn’t want to push Beca too far, but in a way, she needed to know. She needed to hear it from her savior and killer.

“She was a witch.” Beca clenched her jaw “One that practiced the darkest of arts. She had perfected the spirit of immortality in time for me to be restored after the town had gone on their annual vampire cleanse.”

“So you did die?” Chloe asked.

“You did too,” The brunette lifted her chin slightly “Not as long as I did, but death did have a hold on you, and it easily could have grabbed you again if we waited any longer tonight. It’s a cold and dark experience that I wouldn’t will upon anyone.”

“What happened to her,” Chloe swallowed roughly “The girl who helped you.”

“She cursed me.” Beca let out a small scoff as she shook her head “But at the risk of getting too technical, this part of Georgia had its fair share of witch hunts too. They burned her at the stake before she could teach me how to be what I am. Which is why I refuse to let you go through this blindly, Chloe.”

There was a thick and unimaginable silence between the two as the noise around them quieted. The brunette knew she had to order a hot chocolate for the feisty blonde roommate that would have her head if Chloe wasn’t returned soon. But she didn’t’ move, not as the deep crystal stare of this new vampire poured into hers.

“The other night, after I did the same thing to the woman who raised me, it felt wrong. I had spent centuries alone, and suddenly I was getting what I wanted. But when she threatened you- when she hurt you it was everything that I didn’t.” 

Beca let out a steady breath “I couldn’t let you be another victim that’s forgotten. Because, Chloe, I’ve known you but a day and you’re all I want to remember.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**The dorm was** scarcely decorated, a small yellow lamp resting at the edge of an already big brick structure. Chloe had never seen something so empty. The desk was clear of anything personal- wall bare as a white sheet and grey blanket covered the edge of a twin mattress.

Beca threw her bag down, the burlap making an odd sound against the floor. She let out a shaky breath. This whole entire place smelled like her. Sweet and dangerous. The other half of the room littered with different posters of movies, and a messy duvet. There was a laptop casting a hazy blue light across the length of the room.

It had been a long day, Chloe was exhausted. The hunger that had been eating away at her for the past couple of hours had finally dulled off enough for her to relax into herself- to enjoy the little vampire’s company for once in the first 48 hours.

“You’re not going back there,” Beca mumbled, saying the same thing Aubrey had about the graveyard shift at a cemetery. When the blonde snipped about it, it was condescending. But from Beca, it sounded a little less like criticism and more like a friendly suggestion.

“Okay, I won’t.” Chloe flopped down on the mattress too, feeling sore. She stared up at the ceiling as her legs draped off the side of the bed. Beca had her arm behind her head, breath steady as she rested her hand on her chest.

She blinked a few times. She had been so headstrong towards the situation. She was used to working for what she wanted- and right now she needed money to pay for classes that she couldn’t afford in the first place. Yet, after one simple suggestion from a near stranger, she was ready to give it up.

“Wait, what the fuck was that?” Chloe asked, whipping her head around to face Beca. She had underestimated how close the girl was- her breath hot on Chloe’s collarbone. It was mint mixed with coffee. Beca’s stare lingered on the red-heads lips for a second as she let out a sigh. “You just did something.”

“I did,” Beca turned on her side, resting her head on her elbow as she lowered her grasp to mess with the hem of the only blanket in this whole half of the dorm room. “The power of persuasion my dear. Regardless, you’re not going back to that graveyard. Gallagher is a creep.”

“Says the girl who gives impromptu history lessons in the middle of said Graveyard. Besides, I have to get money if I want to stay at Barden.”

“Consider it paid for,” Beca mumbled, running a hand through her mousey brown hair.

Chloe stared at the girl, wonder in her eyes as she squinted them. She didn’t’ know if Beca was offering to cover a whole entire tuition by herself. It wasn’t something she would even let a close family member do. But in a way, the option hit her hard. The girl did kill her.

“Chlo, when it comes to finances, I’ve been saving for a retirement fund for… hmm, one- hundred years.”

“A humble brag indeed,” Chloe giggled, blowing a bit of air from her nose. “You’re uh… You’re going to teach me everything about this, right? That whole creepy mind control thing you did.”

“Of course, Red,” Beca smirked her eyes flipping towards the door to the dorm room. She sat up, straightening her arm as she parted her lips slightly. Chloe knew enough about social cues to realize that they weren’t going to be alone in a few moments. She couldn’t hear much, using most of her attention to focus on Beca’s shallow breath and even slower heartbeat.

The door flung open, Chloe stifling a grin as she got a good look at the owner of the movie posters. She had seen the girl around campus- Amy, something. She had the type of confidence that Chloe would kill for, the style that would cause anyone to fall into an easy conversation with her. The complete opposite of her brooding little friend.

“Becer!” She shouted alcohol clearly on her breath. She was barefoot, holding a pair of studded heels in her hands as a black cocktail dress hugged her sides. Chloe couldn’t tell if she was foreign, hammered, or both. “Beccer’s friend.”

“Amy,” Beca cracked a warm smile “This is Chloe,

“Can you teach her how to decorate?” The blonde ignored the tiny human to Chloe’s right and went straight to pulling herself into her own cocoon of covers. She didn’t’ bother changing, a lazy smirk on her face. “She’s got the style of a piece of toast.”

“White?” Chloe raised her eyebrow in amusement.

“Bland,” the drunk girl hummed. “Toast, burnt toast.”

She grumbled as she curled up and slowly closed her eyes, Beca shook her head as she let out a small sigh and pressed her fingers to her forehead. She had an odd way with her roommate- Anyone else would have ended up with a black eye and a bloody nose, but Amy had escaped unharmed.

“Burnt toast?” She knit her eyebrows together.

“Well, you do dress in all black,” Chloe smirked. “Does that come with the territory?”

“Mm,” The small girl glanced up as she pursed her lips. She stared at Chloe with wonderment. The first time she saw the girl she was covered head to toe in mud. The shirt that she wore was sheer- almost see through. She clearly wasn’t set to dig a hole in the ground.

She squeezed the redhead’s shoulder slightly, shaking her head as she glanced at the sleeping roommate that was curled up on the mattress. She was just short of snoring, consciousness evading her. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to buy a leather jacket, hot-shot. Oh! Or you could just chop up some garlic while you’re at it, stop by a church and try to check your reflection in a mirror.”

“Alright, alright I yield,” Chloe smirked as she held her hands up in surrender. They both laughed, filling the room with a light sound as it finally died down. Chloe drew in a light sigh “Were you serious about the garlic? Because Italian food is my favorite.”

“No,” The shorter girl scoffed, “What’s the point of living forever if you can’t enjoy pizza?”

“Fair point, Mitchell.” She shook her head, there was an odd air of quiet involving the two. This was the first time they had gotten along- at least without the bickering that Beca evoked and anger that Chloe was channeling. It was comfortable, in a way. “I uh- I should get going. Aubrey will blow a gasket if I’m out half the night again.”

“Alright,” Beca nodded it understanding, chewing the edge of her lip as she stepped aside for her to reach the door. “Call me if you need anything tonight.”

“Smoke signal?” Chloe lifted an eyebrow in amusement.

“How about we stick with a Cell phone.” The girl smirked, blowing air from her nose. Her deep cobalt gaze lingered on Chloe’s for a few moments before she pulled the brass knob of the old door open. The hinges creaked and groaned. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Sure, of course.” Chloe didn’t object to the fact that she had to sit through a two and a half hour lecture course when she couldn’t really focus on anything other than the new emotions that flooded her body. It was dangerous, it was confusing. But so was Beca.

She halted as a chilled hand grasped her fingers. She was halfway into the hallway- the scent of freshly applied paint and empty Dorito bags filled her lungs. She glanced back at the ominous girl. “You’ll have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, Beale.”

“That’s comforting,”

Beca chuckled softly, a sweet and silky sound. “It’s not meant to be.” 


	10. Chapter 10

_[TW: BLOOD, AND A LITTLE VIOLENCE]_

**“** **The ancient Greeks** didn’t live for very long,” Professor Aurum paced back and forth in front of the large hellish projector. The edges of a large illustration distorting over her features as she stepped into the thin image. “Alexander the Great passed away at the young age of 32, on June 323 BC.”

Beca had edged herself away from the dull light that was flickering in the back of the auditorium. It was annoying- the lightbulb making an odd and unwarranted buzzing sound that distracted me from whatever the young teacher was droning on about.

Chloe tapped her pen slowly against the lined paper that was half filled. Her handwriting was lacking. It wasn’t as pristine as it always was. She was cold, not being able to feel her hold on the writing instrument or anything else. She leaned back heavily against the plush chair, not knowing what an ancient warrior had to do with Greek Mythology.

“Some say that the great Alexander died from a drinking problem that soon trickled into a fever,” Aurum spoke, projecting her voice. “It’s easy enough to say his vices were something that took him down- but for that time period he passed the life expectancy of many.”

The redhead tilted her gaze towards the large theatre doors. They spilled bright sunlight into the dark area, making her cringe away. The kid who stumbled into his seat fifteen minutes late wreaked of weed. It was a sweet and salt-filled scent. He held a bike helmet in one hand- his notebook scorned and coated in a thick coat of mud as he mumbled an apology and sunk into the seat in front of the girls- trying not to attract any more attention than necessary.

“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Hallan.” The woman who instructed the class gruffly took notice of the man who stumbled in late.

Beca shook her head softly as she pressed her pencil to the paper in front of her. She was sketching something, the movement of the lead against parchment was enough to drive a girl mad, but Chloe had other things to focus on. Other people to focus on. She stared curiously at the boy in front of her. He looked torn up- dirt wicked into his clothes as he set the bike helmet to his side. He must’ve fallen.

He smelled earthy. Almost like a strange combination of sediment and vanilla. It reminded Chloe of the time she used to help her grandmother in the kitchen. They would work in the garden all day to gather the ingredients. It raised spirits and appetite’s as they came inside and took leftover flour and baking powder to create some form of dessert.

Chloe had once been so enticed by the scent of the vanilla extract that she rose it to her lips, cringing away when the bitter liquid danced across her tongue. Her grandmother gave her a sharp look. Stating that not everything that looks innocent is.

She shrugged it off, knowing that it was a little mistake, and she would move on. But the words always stuck with her. In a way, it reminded her of why roses had thorns, and why the best types of fruit were the hardest to get.

“Of course, another theory suggests the use of poison. Alexander was careful, he never sipped a drink that wasn’t tested beforehand, but if someone very close to the leader handed him a cup full of wine, he wouldn’t’ hesitate. It was his downfall.”

“Chlo,” Beca mumbled, barely above a whisper, making stark blue eyes flash over to hers. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” The taller girl cleared her throat, shifting her position in the seat. “I’m fine.”

She clenched the front of the desk, though. Digging her nails into the grained wood as the smaller girl took a short notice of the change in demeanor that Chloe took on. She was tense, lips parted as she started to breathe a bit heavier.

That’s when Beca noticed it, the scent of blood. That kid who was late carried it in with him like an aura of the stench. Usually, she wasn’t so impervious to it, but she was more focused on the way Chloe was acting. The girl had so much control, it was different than the other vampires that were new to this. She thought through her actions, but now, with blood involved, that could be a different story.

The girl to her side was on edge, her jaw clenched to the point of needing a mouth guard. The red-head was struggling, clearing her throat as a nagging edge ate away at the back of her mind.

There was no reason and logic. It was like the very vice that Professor Aurum was droning on about in the front of the room. Everything else was blurred out, her mouth watering as a deep need filled her lungs. She was in a haze- the only thing on her mind was taking a sip of that vanilla liquid.

She could feel an undeniable ache emanate from her jaw, elongated canine teeth digging into her bottom lip as her own blood drawn from the freshly nipped skin. Beca let out a thick sigh beside her, shaking her head as she stopped her incessant doodling. She had been sketching flowers, the vines stretching in muddy graphite.

The tiny Burnette didn’t’ take more than a second to consider her options. She could very well pull Chloe out by her arm, creating a scene. Instead, she grasped the very pencil she was drawing with and pressed it roughly into Chloe’s thigh.

A sharp inhale filled the room, one that other people assumed was a sigh, but Chloe’s deep blue gaze flashed with shock and confusion. The tip of the graphite had reached all the way to the seat, Chloe doing nothing short of panicking now. Blood was slowly seeping through her jeans, staining them with a blotchy mess of iron.

“Beca,” Chloe hissed, eyes dark as the very canine’s that were so ready to dig into an open vein pulled back. She felt sick to her stomach, this hurt like a bitch. A splinter that she couldn’t quite remove. A deep wasp that kept stinging against an open wound.

The girl was quick to wrap her hand around the base of the writing utensil, right where it meant her skin. The side of her hand soaked in rustic syrup as she did so- but Beca kept pushing down, making sure to keep the instrument in place. 

“The first thing you have to realize, Beale, is that there are addictions in this world.” The girl whispered roughly into the redhead’s ear. “This isn’t as simple as sneaking a spare cigarette from your mother’s purse.”

“Beca, please take the pencil out of my leg.” She mumbled through clenched teeth, Aurum’s gaze flashing over to them curiously. She left it alone, the two of them spoke only enough for each other to hear. “I swear to god I’ll-“

“You’ll what?” The brunette taunted “Rip that pencil away and murder that innocent boy in cold blood just because of a deep craving? I don’t’ think so, Red.”

“I wasn’t going to do that.”

“How do you know?” Beca sounded out easily. Instead of an answer, she got a blank stare, the shock wearing off. “That’s right you don’t. Your need for blood is overwhelming your logical thought process. It’s called lust. Libido.”

“Can’t you teach me on a bit of learning curve?” She hissed, glancing down at the blood that now pooled on the seat underneath her.

“No,” She mumbled as Aurum started to shut off her power point. She was giving her final thoughts, leaving the class wanting more like any good presenter would. “If you associate that need with nothing but pain, then we won’t have a problem, now will we?”

“What are you going to do next time, huh? Drive a bullet through my skull.”

“Oh, I would never.” Beca gave an innocent smile as the sound of people gathering their stuff filled the air. She pulled back quickly, Chloe let out a muffled grunt as a form of relief washed over her. The two girls watched carefully as the boy who had rushed in late stalked away.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chloe stood up, trying not to put too much pressure on her leg. It burned like a nasty cut, the bloodied instrument still resting in the tiny vampire’s grasp. Aurum slowly walking up the carpeted steps, the three of them lingering in the large auditorium.

“Relax, you’ll heal.” Beca slung her bag over her shoulder. “You’ve been through worse, you just don’t remember it.”

“Oh?” Chloe cocked her head to the side, “You mean like your evil fucking mother?”

“Yes, like my _evil fucking mother_.” Beca snipped back, shaking her head as she made slight eye contact with the woman who was now at the top of the steps.

“Oh, by all means, don’t stop your little lovers quarrel on my behalf.” The thick accented edge of Aurums voice filled the girl’s ears. Beca lifted her chin slightly parting her lips as she stared easily at the woman. She was familiar in an odd way that she couldn’t place.

“We’re not,” Chloe stumbled through her words “She’d never be-“

“Never?” Beca gave her a taunting smirk. “That’s a long time, Chloe.”

A certain heat moved towards the girl’s cheeks. It didn’t in any way dismiss the rage she felt towards the girl next to her. Never was a long time, especially now. Everything had been so overwhelming, but Beca was there through it all- even with her odd methods.

Professor Aurum took in a bunch of air, breaking the heavy gaze that Beca held with the younger girl. She was small but carried a lot of mystery and anger. Those deep cloudy eyes were like falling into a foggy lake. You had no idea where you were going, but it didn’t really seem to matter.

Chloe’s nails were still pressing into her palm, a slight sting moving through her arm as she adjusted her position. The blood was drying against the edge of her thigh, adhering the fabric to her skin. She shifted.

“Professor,” Beca’s stare flicked back to the woman, shaking a bit of the roughness. “Chloe mentioned something about you giving her a bit of a history lesson on Greek Vampire’s?”

“Mm,” the older woman hummed, not changing her hardness. “Strigoi, the evil demonic poltergeist… You’re not going to turn into a bat on me, are you Miss Mitchell?”

Beca let out a small noise as she lifted her chin slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. Chloe had never seen the two interact, she wasn’t even sure how Beca got in this class so far into the semester. She assumed it was that same “Power of Persuasion” that the girl had used on her earlier. Now it seemed like the two had an odd dynamic about them.

“That’s a nasty stereotype.” She smirked, “But no. I was wondering if you knew anything about Hecate?”

“She’s the goddess of all witchcraft.” The woman pursed her lips, Chloe leaning heavily against the edge of the desk. Her notebook rested in her hand, the rustic blood smearing against the cover as she listened to the two talk like colleges instead of teacher and student. The girl wouldn’t be surprised if Beca got the young woman to talk to her out of a favor. “A trickster really. She wrote enough spell books for people like me to make sure things were easier to access.”

“People like you?” Chloe’s voice was high pitched, her eyebrows raised as the poised woman glanced her way.

“I’m not a professional or anything,” She held her hands up in defense “I can handle myself well, though.”

“She knows her stuff, Beale,” Beca confirmed with a nod. “My _evil fucking mother_ is a force to be reckoned with, and I made a mistake. One that I think I need help fixing.”

“And your brother?” The teacher lifted her chin in question.

“He’s not of my concern.” Beca drew in a breath “At least not right now.” 


	11. Chapter 11

**The mansion loomed** against a slowly darkening sky, it’s clouds looked almost painted. The air was slowly growing colder, Chloe not feeling the need for a jacket at all. Beca had insisted quite clearly that it would look odd for the redhead to prance around in jean shorts and a tank top, even though she didn’t mind.

It would make people question her slight change in personality. Aubrey was already hot on the trail of something be off about her best friend. She didn’t ask many questions though. The girl had been irritable, snapping at the little things like asking to borrow more flash-cards, or commenting on how the lab for biology was due in a few days. She eventually backed off and let her have her moment to stew.

Beca knew that it was the adrenaline. All the new feelings that rushed through her veins. Shoving a pencil into the girl’s thigh wasn’t the best course of action, but neither was letting her instincts peel back. The bloodlust was rough- hard for the girl to control.

The darker girl let out a small sigh as she adjusted her own coat, staring up at her home. The deep stone looked more like a castle than anything. She remembered when she built it, attempting to model it after the type of buildings she saw during a stint in Iceland. Instead, it looked like the house at the top of the hill that other kids dared their counterparts to explore.

A motorcycle was parked out front, the engine still crackling from receding heat, a thick gassed scent filling their lungs. Another black truck similar in style and make to what Chloe saw Beca driving rested in an open garage. A basketball hoop was drilled into the soft surface.

“Wait,” Chloe dragged her feet, the toes of her boot pressing roughly against the cobblestone walkway. She didn’t know why she was stalling, the pit in her stomach growing to the size of a golf ball. Part of it had to be attributed to the woman who was most likely resting behind that door. The one who had ripped her life away from her. It wasn’t Beca, she knew it wasn’t. The brooding vampire had done everything in her power to keep her safe, to keep her sane.

The smaller girl must have noticed the color in her companion’s face drain slightly. It wasn’t a hard task to complete. Her fingers were already shaking, and the scent of pure fear was thick in the air. “Chlo, she’s not here.”

“The car-“

“My brothers.” She relented “Jesse doesn’t really care about all of this stuff. As long as he’s fed, he’s happy. Alright?”

The ginger nodded softly, drawing in a sharp breath as she hung her head and followed Beca into the large house. The floor immediately echoed as they walked into the foyer. Beca’s scent was pressing against every inch of Chloe’s body. It made her shudder, the warmth overwhelming.

She could tell that Beca brought in a designer. Her dorm room was a far cry from the farmhouse style that decorated almost every wall. It was rustic, but modern at the same time. There was a large stone fireplace that Chloe could barely see past the large double staircase and decorated carpet. It was made out of the same material as the walkway. Everything seemed to have a perfect place.

The girl didn’t’ waste time heading up to her room. Chloe followed reluctantly, sticking close. She had to pick up a few more things, not having anything other than t-shirts at the college. The air was growing colder, and like she had made a point of earlier: they had to make an effort to appear normal.

A white door was propped open at the top of the stairs, the muffled sound of a gun firing in the reinks of some alien wasteland assaulted the girl’s ears. A sour expression pressed against Beca’s lips as she let out a sigh and leaned heavily against the white frame, trying to catch the hooded figures attention.

Her brother was curled up in a chair, popcorn and soda cans scattered around the edge of his cocoon. Beca wasn’t counting on the other man that was lounging on the bed, an open pizza box to his side. He looked innocent enough, but out of place. He was pale- on edge just like her own responsibility.

“Hi,” She sounded out, raising her eyebrows as she crossed her hands over her chest. Everything about this felt off to her- her brother still refusing to look her in the eyes. He was moving just fine, eyes trained on the blue tinted screen as Chloe’s lips parted slightly.

“Benji?” She whispered, knowing damn well that the other man in the room heard her. He perked up, pressing some obscure button to call up a pause menu. It brought an odd silence to the room, the stranger waving dumbly as Beca’s brother finally turned to focus on the visitors.

He was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, the color growing from the olive t-shirt that was hugging his frame. Despite being hung up in this place for days he still had a bit of a glow about him. His jaw was stone cut, skin a pale color compared to other men Chloe had the pleasure of bumping into.

“Who’s this?” He asked a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Oh, that’s Chloe Beale. Straight A student, and all around nice person.” Chloe beamed, mouthing him a ‘thank you’ as Beca looked at her counterpart and the new stranger that had appeared out of nowhere. The shorter girl sent him a blood curling glare. “Oh, got it. Rhetorical question.”

“I could ask you the same thing, Jess.” She flicked her gaze to her brother. He stood, dusting off spare crumbs from whatever junk food he had been shoving into his mouth.

“That’s Benji,” Chloe said, that same level of puppy excitement that she seemed to carry in the graveyard the first night seemed to fill her. It made Beca stifle a smile. She wasn’t happy, but the taller woman was enough to cause her to stare. “Straight C student, and pizza delivery boy. But also a really nice person.”

Beca let out a small, but sharp growl.

“That was rhetorical too, got it.” Chloe blushed as she made a zipping motion against her pink lips, throwing the key behind her with a pensive look on her face. The smaller woman finally averted that icy anger to the only one related to her.

“You turned the pizza delivery boy?”

“I needed someone to play video games with.” He admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I was a little impulsive. So what? You turned some random girl that you have the hots for.”

Chloe pulled air into her lungs that seemed to go unnoticed as the two newly turned vampires watched their mentors escalate when it came to the playground insults. Beca was always so calm when it came to everything. She was level-headed and focused. Jesse seemed to steal all of that away from her. He glanced around his younger sister made eye contact with the ginger.

“Did she fuck you yet, sweetie?” He hissed, it was a lot more malicious than she was expecting.

“Excuse me?” Beca cut him off, shoving her hand into his chest. “She is not some random girl. She’s the only reason you’re here right now.”

He lifted an eyebrow quieting a bit as he looked down at his sister, chest heaving. Part of Chloe wanted him to just keep playing his video games and let them fill a few duffle bags with whatever clothes Beca had. The girl knew they were all black, but part of her hoped to walk into her room to see a pink bed-spread and floral sundresses.

“Oh,” Jesse sounded out, clenching his stoic jaw. “Okay, Becs I think it’s about time you get her out of here before mother dearest comes home. Alright?”

“Right,” She sounded out, taking a slight step back. The atmosphere in the room quickly changed. The scent of spray can cheese was still thick in Chloe’s lungs, but all humor had been sucked from the room. Beca’s fingers wrapped around Chloe’s as she pulled her towards the room, Benji knitting his eyebrows together as the door slowly closed behind the two girls.

“What was that about?” Chloe whispered harshly, Beca still trying to catch her temper.

“Nothing,” She straightened her shoulders, lifting her chin slightly. “We just don’t get along, alright?” 


End file.
